WAR.WORN.FASHION

It’s been a week and I’m still pissed off about the #ProjectRunway finale…

Maybe because Project Runway means the world to me (a reality show that could potentially catapult my career to the level of my dreams and more) but I could not help but be incredibly angry at the fact that Anya Ayoung-Chee won the show’s ninth season (though I do feel better now… mainly because of this).

Before I begin explaining my frustration with the conclusive episode, let me state that my opinions are filled with minimum bias - I have nothing against her personally, people from Trinidad and Tobago, or the under dog (because clearly, she was the odd-man out) nor am I going to partial about the fact that the other finalists are alumni from FIT, the university I currently attend (much as that did fuel an unusual sense of school pride). As always, my Project Runway commentary is solely about the clothes. 

If I had been judging the finale, my pick for winner would have been Viktor Luna. As much as I (dare I say) loathed his almost obnoxious (for lack of a better word) personality, I respect his design aesthetic and give him credit for being a great competitor - talk about a heavy player in the game! His construction skills and agility are enviable and his collection, to me, was flawless. The use of glass, sheer fabrics, and luxurious coloured prints and the exhibit of strong tailoring did it for me. Even that dress with a hint of bondage I could see hanging in a department store. Perhaps the reason why I liked the collection the most was because it fit seamlessly into the vibe that is Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

I was also incredibly impressed with Joshua McKinley’s presentation. A unique motley of textures and details that left me feeling sorry for disliking him throughout the season as well. Sometimes we forget about the real purpose of Project Runway when we are presented with sets of “interesting” characters - not characters but actual individuals, not any different than ourselves (after all, it is reality TV).

Regardless, his showing was bright, avant-garde (or well, a new, contemporary likeness of Jean Paul Gaultier, if you will), and very Josh.

Now on to Anya, who also delivered a lovely collection but did not parallel the likeness of the collections of her fellow competitors (even though I failed to mention Kimberly’s collection, I was rather fond of it as well). Throughout the whole season, I found myself applauding Anya for her ability to overpass her limitations and present winning styles, fully epitomizing Tim Gunn’s mantra, “Make it work.” I also really admired her audacity to even apply for the show (an inspiration to me as a designer whose skills are a bit lackluster - but having seen her win, makes me want to apply to be on the show now even more). AND not to mention she’s quite the vision of beauty. However, she did not, by any stretch of the imagination, deserve to win the grand prize - at least not over the other finalists, that is.

Do you see what I see? A rather lovely but safe array of - wait for it - jumpsuits and dresses. Sure, there was one pair of shorts and a swimsuit, but for the final collection, you are supposed to bring your A-game and this was just not up-to-par with the greatness that is showing at Lincoln Center (in the Theatre, no less!).

My ultimate problem with her winning actually has nothing to do with her but rather the judges and their deliberation. Every cut in season nine had made sense to me and I never once questioned Heidi, Michael, or Nina. This last verdict however really affected me: when Heidi declared Anya the winner, I cried out “NO, WHAT THE FUCK” at my television screen. I was infuriated and restless for the remainder of the night. What may seem like irrational behavior to some is just expression of my utter confusion. After nine seasons of having thought I figured out what it is that the judges want from the designers and the criteria for participating in the show, I realized I knew absolutely nothing.

If you follow my rants live-commentary on Twitter, you may have noticed that I compared Anya to season three’s Uli Herzner. Throughout her season, Uli was criticized for being a one-note and presenting mainly long, flowy printed dresses, challenge after challenge. Her construction skills took her to the finale, where she broke through with a collection full of variety and assortment (while spot on with the upcoming sand cycle for the season - that is, the trending nude colour palette) beyond her established Miami resortwear stereotype. Anya, on the other hand, did the opposite: she presented a range of work throughout the season (though I saw no jackets and to be perfectly honest, I got tired of seeing the same old jumpsuit, didn’t you?) and a rather monotonous finale collection.

Having the judges previously disapprove of monotony, I wondered the exact motives behind this decision. While the judges claimed she had a unique point of view, her designs to me are nothing new to the eye (just ask Roberto Cavalli and DVF who have made a living with printed, effortless, ethnic and tropical womenswear). The winner of Project Runway always defines the latest sensibility of American design - so where are we going, according to the judges? You won’t see me in a kaftan anytime soon.

To me, this begs a question of marketing: was this all for a publicity stunt? By the time the finale was recorded (September 9th), the votes for fan favorite were already being prompted by viewers and Anya and Anthony Ryan were the front runners. Since Anthony Ryan was not a finalist, was the finale decision a way of appealing to the masses? After all, one of the caveats of this program is that production and management can interfere with and influence the selection of winners and losers.

So could this have all been a set up? I guess we’ll never know. I just think it’s a bit odd to have a newbie who learned how to sew only a few months ago claim such a prestigious title over people whose entire lives have been devoted to design? One of the deciding factors seems to be marketability. Funny, I thought this show was about fashion design. Now I know marketing and business are a pivotal part of the design process (believe me, it’s my frickin’ life) but… did we really need another Chloe Dao?

Let’s pretend it’s Thursday, where we’re all about menswear

We now interrupt any fashion week coverage for an important blog entry (cc: @TerrysTwoCents)

Last night’s @ProjectRunway brought the second menswear challenge in the history of the show. The first time we encountered this situation was in season four, where the designers were supposed to create a garment for Tiki Barber (whoever the heck he is). The results from that challenge only mimicked those of last night’s: tragedy. While there were some looks that were successful (the obvious winning looks), most of the designers of the show have failed miserably with menswear. Even the designer with a menswear background came up short (though there were external factors to Olivier’s downfall - something we just won’t go into right now as my rants on Twitter did suffice).

Watching the designers squirm with fear, anxiety, and panic at the news of the challenge and seeing their poor execution begged to question the difficulty of creating menswear in the first place. People already watching Project Runway tend to think that the design process is simple. They like to chastise the designers’ work but have little to no personal knowledge of the intricacies of creating even the simplest tee-shirt. You have to deal with patterns (that can be drawn out utilizing measurements or draped on a form), textiles, linings, facings, findings (trims, buttons, and the like), and of course, sewing (and the notches, stitches, presser foots, and machinery involved).

As a fashion student, I can tell you first hand how hard it is to execute one’s vision in this manner. Designing on paper means absolutely nothing if you cannot physically reproduce the style. Reproducing it well is another story. Still, these are the disciplines of design for anything. So why is it that menswear is evidently harder to create than womenswear?

Funny enough, the men’s apparel industry is the oldest of the apparel industries. It is actually the parent to women’s and children’s wear. Menswear was also the beginning of ready-to-wear in general. All of this aside, you would think that the design world was much more menswear friendly. However, it is important to remember the two factors that differentiate menswear from the rest of the industry: innovation and production. Fact: men’s clothing has changed very little throughout the ages. Neutral colors have prevailed, conservative styles have been key. As I’ve said before, there are only so many ways you can recreate a man’s clothes and their comprising elements (vents, lapels, cuffs, collars, armhole, shoulders, fit, etc). Unlike womenswear, menswear does not lend itself easily to creativity for the very logic that men are not that daring in their styling. Instead, they are more practical creatures that shop out of need rather than to indulge in the shopping experience that most women thrive on.

The business is more about tradition. Thus, even the categories and organization of the menswear industry differs greatly than that of say the womenswear market: 

• Tailored Clothing - Formal suit separates
• Furnishings - Your classic button-downs, neckwear, underwear, headgear, sweaters, and pajamas
• Outerwear - Self-explanatory
• Work Clothing and Uniforms - once again, self-explanatory

Womenswear on the other hand, has 12 categories (just walk into any department store and you’ll see the plethora of choices - multiple floors dedicated solely to womenswear and only few square feet of menswear). Limited categories can only stifle the newness of a design - a huge reason that when you have menswear designers like Tom Ford that create such a frenzy, you can only deem them fashion mavericks.

But why? Production! When you think of menswear, the mind immediately goes to tailored-clothing firms. The tailored suit is and will always be the the backbone of this market segment. You’ve seen them in stores all the time but what exactly is a tailored suit? It is a three-dimensional, structured garment whose form remains intact even when it is not being worn. It is defined by its quality - a factor that can be measured with a scale of grades. All you need to know is that grade 6 suit is probably the best suit ever. Chances are it is bespoke (hand and custom-made). The difference is cut and drop (the difference between the chest and waist measurements of a jacket). This contributes to a unique fit. While the female body has more dimension than the male body, men’s tailored clothing follows proportional sizing, utilizing chest, arm, bicep, waist, neck, crotch depth (probably the most notorious of the figures here - as it is the most distinguishing factor between the sexes and the cause for much awkward flies…), and inseam.

Having to consider all these measurements and criteria to assemble a look makes menswear a difficult venture. The field demands more effective and efficient patternmaking skills, technical prowess, mastering of technology, hands-on capability, and a refined attention to design, detail, and fabrication. When it comes down to it: everything goes in womenswear, menswear is not as versatile and requires much more study, practice, and attention. The trends are different, the product is different, the construction is different, the styles are different.

If you’d like to learn more about this fascinating industry though, I’d say your first stop is WWD’s Thursday paper - dedicated to menswear (and appropriately entitled, Men’s Week). Consumer magazines such as GQ, Details, and Esquire are also a go-to source - this is really all I know but as always, I am eager to learn more.

@ProjectRunway’s @RamonLawrence- the Epitome of Effortlessly Casual Sophistication

It is not every day that a designer’s passions and desires radiate from their creations. It’s a beautiful phenomenon that I have referred to before as “genius” - the beautiful moment where we the viewer identify with the artist’s inner most thoughts and see their fashions as something more than just clothes and just salable merchandise for the next season. Furthermore, the same can be said for individuals who “rise from the ashes” and prove themselves after a fallen moment. Last Saturday, I bared witness to such a triumph: in spite of being eliminated in season six of Project Runway (over quite frankly an outfit that did fit the criteria for that given challenge well), Ra’mon Lawrence has proven that there is life after the dreadful “auf wiedersehen.”  With his Spring/Summer 2012 collection, Ra’mon challenged his old defeat, exceeded his fans expectations of his greatness, inspired and impressed me.

Sponsored by Stoli vodka and taking place at Happy Monkey Studios in none other than the Garment District, Ra’mon’s presentation poke of a highly skilled and talented designer. As we all know, I am an advocate for real fashion design (as I believe not everyone deems to be labeled as a designer). However, I can wholeheartedly say that I support Ra’mon Lawrence in his quest to bring classically beautiful but effortless clothes to the world. While effortlessly beautiful clothes seem like a cliché at this point, Ra’mon’s draping, pleating, color treatments, and use of prints transform his designs into extraordinary.

The common thread and newness brought to the table: slouchy graphics and a feminine indigeneity – whether floral, polka dot, spirals, or stripes, the elements of bold abstraction created harmony with the featured sheer, swift, weightless fabrics, hard accessories (among them mineral necklaces, beads, and a coral necklace, in collaboration with the brand ROX Minneapolis), and easy, breezy styling. Subtle details captivated the guest: print-blocking (the more daring cousin of the ever popular colour-blocking trend of the moment), reverse high low hems (where the front of the garment surpassed the back of it in length), asymmetry, cut-outs, and interesting seam lines all made for a lovely showcase. For this collection though, Ra’mon pulled out all the stops. The strongest weapon in his design arsenal: the introduction of a proper menswear line in conjunction with his womenswear.

When congratulating him on his work, Ra’mon pulled my friend, Mercedes and I aside to explain his vision behind the menswear pieces. As many designers, Ra’mon began to dabble in menswear in efforts to create the best looks for himself. It is true, that as designers (true designers), we find flaws in many purveyors of garments so we look to create a new source for others and our own wardrobes. We sometimes fail to find the exact likeness of ourselves in the clothes of others and therefore, assemble an outfit exactly the way we envision ourselves dressing. For men however, design is rather limited – there are only so many ways you can cut a suit and the status quo is to appear as masculine as possible. Nevertheless, Ra’mon took an innovative and versatile approach to his designs: “Menswear is so rigid but here, he looks casual, he’s comfortable, but he is still masculine and sophisticated.”  

Clean lines and luxurious European flair brought his entire collection to Parisian proportions.

My favorite looks:

He created this sheer and printed panel shirt dress that left me speechless. There’s nothing better than a chiffon and lace moment.

His successful menswear – if I had to choose a favorite look, I’d pick this one.

Note, not only was the model incredibly hot but the look combines Italian old-fashioned tailoring with contemporary appeal. While the look of menswear barely changes from year to year or even generation to generation, this looks speaks to the fashion-forward well-dressed man.

“Meticulous, yet effortless. Sophisticated, yet accessible. Profound, yet playful.”

Perhaps the most beautiful thing about this collection was that the designer himself is just as lovely as the clothes. A well-dressed man who evidently notices the details as texture, shape, construction, and even the magic of polished shoes – with a clever eye for colour, [elevated] taste, AND simplicity – Ra’mon Lawrence radiates personality and charm. With a vivacious spirit, kind and human demeanor, and amazing YSL nail polish, Ra’mon Lawrence will take over the world.